Stroke education: retention effects in those at low- and high-risk of stroke.
OBJECTIVE
Relatively few studies have tracked retention effects of stroke education in low- and high-risk groups. Such information is important to improve the design of stroke prevention programs.


METHODS
The frequency of risk factors within the sample was defined as "high" if 30% or more of participants in that group had that risk. Only one stroke risk factor was present at this level in the low-risk group (n=29; all less than 50 years old). The high-risk group was 44 individuals aged 50 years or over, with four stroke risk factors present at this level. Stroke knowledge was tested on three occasions: baseline, post-education, and retention. Education consisted of reading a published stroke brochure.


RESULTS
Stroke knowledge improved over time, from baseline to post-education, but not from post-education to retention. The performance of both groups increased, but there was a differential learning effect: low-risk participants learned more than high-risk participants. Important information was learned and included details such when TIA symptoms dissipate. This particular issue was one about which both groups knew little at baseline (less than 15% of combined sample answered this item correctly), but post-education at least 75% of participants got this question correct.


CONCLUSIONS
Both low- and high-risk individuals can learn information about stroke and retain it over the short term. The "durable" effects in learning observed in this study are important because the benefit of brochure-only approaches to education have not yet been convincingly demonstrated.


CONCLUSIONS
Information about stroke from education brochures is retained by at-risk populations for at least 1 week.
Sullivan
Karen A
KA
School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia. ka.sullivan@qut.edu.au
Katajamaki
Anita
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011793:Queensland; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors